Gwen Simpkins
Editor at Large
Involved in home design for over 20 years, Gwen's practical experience includes design, construction, and renovation of over 30 projects. Her work has been featured on This Old House and in national and local design publications. As a journalist, Gwen has covered the home design field extensively.

Wendy Simard
Features Editor
Wendy has enthusiastically followed the design field since graduating from Syracuse University more than a decade ago. Moved by all areas of art, her interest in home design was spawned while working to develop illustrated books for Rockport Publishers. For the past two years, she has brought an attuned eye and astute commentary to the Web site. Her goal in creating content is to demystify the design process for HomePortfolio users. When not commenting on interiors, Wendy can be found playing outside...

Susan Winner
Guest Editor
For more than 12 years, Susan has helped homeowners, designers, architects, and plumbers design kitchens and baths. Her extensive product knowledge, gained through comprehensive experience at New England's premier showrooms, ensured finding the ideal combination of utility, style, and price for each project. At HomePortfolio.com, that deep knowledge translates into identifying the best brands, products, and solutions for kitchens and baths and educating consumers about them.

Richard May
Guest Editor
Richard holds a degree in Art History from Tufts University and in 1999 was awarded the History of Art prize by the school. His work experience has included the cataloguing of a collection of fine art and antique furniture at the Robert Treat Paine Estate in Waltham, Massachusetts, a private residence designed by Henry Hobson Richardson.

Megan Strauss
Guest Editor
Megan earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a concentration in ceramics and a minor in art history. She has worked as a technician in a ceramics studio and as a professional artist before turning her interests to interior design. With a background in furniture sales and a toe still dipping in the interior design pond, Megan brings her great experience and trained eye to HomePortfolio.

Maegan Wright
Guest Editor
Growing up in an artisan family, Maegan has drawn influence from her father's illustrations and her mother's handsewn quilts. A graduate of the Art Institute of Boston with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in Illustration, she has continued to explore the qualities of design and craftsmanship through a gallery environment and with her own jewelry line.

Jennifer Runnels
Guest Editor
Educated in the fine arts, Jennifer has worked in the design field since discovering her love for fine furniture and interior decorating. From historical home painting to antique dealing, photo styling, and furniture sales, she has combined all of these talents and brought them to HomePortfolio as an expert in furniture, rugs, and decorative accessories.

Barbara Sarles
Guest Editor
Barbara has enjoyed a long career in interior design, beginning as the assistant to the president of a prestigious firm in Connecticut. She studied design at New York School of Interior Design and in 1973 opened her own design firm in Greenwich. Responsible for the design and decoration of many homes, offices, and condominiums in the New York City area, Barbara holds the resolute belief that comfort and charm should coexist in good design. She now resides and works in Sarasota, Florida.

Alan Kauzlaric
Guest Editor
An interest in buildings and architecture ultimately led Alan to see the light—or at least its importance in creating meaningful, livable spaces. From operating a movie projector, to studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center, to working in the lighting maintenance and retail lighting realms, Alan has developed over the past 10 years a world of experience in lighting.

Gayané Ebling
Guest Editor
Combining a background in marketing and the decorative arts, Gayané has assisted home furnishings companies expand their market presence. In addition, she has helped architects and residential clients source the market for unique products. At HomePortfolio.com she satisfies her passion for finding the new and unusual.

Jeddrey Reich
Guest Editor
With extensive personal experience and a long family history (three generations of his family have worked in home furnishings), Jedd contributes knowledge specifically of high-end traditional case goods and upholstery to the site. Jedd's work in sales, as a merchandiser, and as a buyer for his family's furniture showrooms for over a decade, as well as his work at HomePortfolio.com, have contributed to his expertise in recognizing industry trends and identifying quality furniture construction and design.

Judith Z. Cushman
Guest Editor
Judith has long been fascinated with trends, a topic she writes about for HomePortfolio.com. Covering fashion through the ages, she also teaches a university course in the history of decorative arts. After a long stint as editor for home furnishing trade journals, she now guides manufacturing and retail clients in determining style directions for home goods.

Cheryl Katz
Guest Editor
Among her many other contributions to the site, Cheryl is a savvy tour guide, taking HomePortfolio.com visitors on virtual visits to home design stores in major cities. C&J Studio, the "design think tank" she founded with her husband, Jeffrey, 15 years ago, handles a range of design work, including retail and corporate interiors, exhibits, and furniture. Their work has been published extensively in consumer as well as trade publications. Four years ago, the studio was named to the Design Hall of Fame. Cheryl is also a design columnist for Boston Globe Magazine and a contributing editor for American Homestyle and Gardening magazine.

Denis Semprebon
Guest Editor
Denis has over 25 years of experience in residential and commercial building and woodworking. For 15 years, he has taught Preservation Carpentry at the North Bennet St. School in Boston and focused on restoring historic structures. Denis has written for and had his work featured in various trades magazines. As an on-air segment host for the Discovery Channel's Popular Mechanics Show, he conceived and co-wrote more than thirty segments on all aspects of woodworking.

Amy Dachs
Guest Editor
As principal of her New York-based public relations and creative consulting firm, Amy has her hand on the pulse of the home design industry. She cultivated her passion for design while spotting trends as a fashion director. As an interior designer and as an editor for HomePortfolio, she has continued to promote high-end and luxury products.

Michel Luc Provencher
Guest Editor
In his 20 years of experience as an interior designer, Michel has developed a sharp eye for color, pattern, and innovative design. Over the years, he has worked with builders, architects, and homeowners on many high-end kitchen and bath projects. In addition to his contributions to HomePortfolio.com, Michel consults on retail showroom management and design and manages a paint, wallcoverings, and window treatments design showroom in the Boston area.

Franck Lambert
Guest Editor
Franck brings a European flair to our group of design experts. His passion for home design is deeply rooted in his family design business in Provence. Franck obtained his masters in business at Boston College and wrote his dissertation on the home design industry in France. Franck attends industry trade shows in both Europe and the United States, and also travels frequently between both Paris and London.

Jennifer DiRico
Guest Editor
A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Jennifer has worked both as a designer and product developer in the area of Italian tableware and ceramics. As an interior decorator and space planner since 1990, she has had a special focus on furnishings accessories. She and her husband currently reside in the Boston area.